Lisa MacPherson

Programming Secretary

Linda Caldwell

Print Shop Secretary

Nancy Gyetko

Treasurer

Linda Caldwell

Directors

ORMTA Reps

Ted Ellis

Music Club Reps

Gilberta Corey, Cheryl MacMillan

Educational Community Reps

Elizabeth Bonisteel (DSBN)

Lisa MacPherson (NCDSB)

Dance Rep

Donna Moreau

Community Reps

Paul Brisley

Ann Cooke

Bette Kalailieff

Mary Parkes

Marilyn Robinson

Wilma Tennier

Adjudicators for 2019

PIANO ADJUDICATOR – FRANCES BALODIS

Frances Mae Balodis MEd., ARCT, LCCN(H), LCNCM(H), RMT, MYCC is founder (in 1980) of Music for Young Children® and cofounder of CLU™. As a Registered Music Teacher, Frances received the Hugheen Ferguson Distinguished Teacher award in Regina SK in July 2011. She was nominated (in 2011) and was a finalist for the Louis Applebaum Composer Award. A certified Neurolinguistic Programmer (NLP) and an Accredited DISC Training provider, as well as teacher with over 60 years experience, Frances is a speaker and a workshop clinician, adjudicator and examiner. She delights in helping people of all ages and places understand their learning styles. Frances is the Chairperson for the MYC Composition Festival. Frances has adjudicated at many Festivals. In addition, in 2016 she was the adjudicator for the Mary Gardiner Junior and Senior candidates for Performance Excellence across Canada for ACNMP Contemporary Showcase. Frances enjoys being a piano teacher (she teaches Seniors too!) and Conservatory Canada examiner. She lives in Ullswater, Muskoka, ON with her husband, Gunars. She shares the organist position at St. Thomas Anglican church, Ullswater, ON. Frances played handbells for five years.

Frances makes and sells birch bark cards for her business Creative Muskoka Cards.

Frances is a member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers CAPS. She is also the director of The Muskoka Men of Song, a 35 voice male choir centered in Bracebridge, ON.

VOCAL, CHORAL, VERSE SPEAKING ADJUDICATOR – MELANIE TELLEZ

Melanie Tellez strives to bring an energetic and open-hearted approach to choral leadership as a conductor, vocal pedagogue and music educator.

Originally from Nova Scotia, Melanie now calls Hamilton, Ontario her home. As Assistant Artistic Director of the Hamilton Children’s Choir, Melanie develops original choral programming, oversees music theory and literacy programs, and directs the Esprimas choir. Melanie also teaches vocal music at Hillfield Strathallan College (Hamilton).

A finalist in the Sir Ernest MacMillan Foundation Award in Choral Conducting (2012) and Leslie Bell Prize for Choral Conducting (2015), Melanie is an emerging leader in Canada’s choral scene. Melanie holds a Bachelor of Music in Voice from Dalhousie University and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Alberta. She has been thrilled to adjudicate choral festivals in Toronto (Kiwanis, TDSB) and Hamilton (Kiwanis), and also serves on the executive board of Choirs Ontario. Past conducting engagements include: Toronto Children’s Chorus, High Park Choirs of Toronto (now Young Voices Toronto), Chorus Niagara Children’s Choir, Sherwood Park Festival Singers (Alberta), and The King’s University College Concert Choir (Alberta).

DANCE ADJUDICATOR – KALIE HUNTER

Originally from Victoria BC, Kalie has her BA in dance from The School of Alberta Ballet/University of Calgary and spent her first few years out of school freelancing with various dance companies/choreographers such as La Caravan Dance Theatre and Ballet Espressivo. After travelling to many countries with Silverseas Cruise Lines as a featured dancer/aerial acrobat she moved to Toronto which she now calls home. Her (selected) theatre experience includes: Cinderella the Panto, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (Drayton Entertainment,) Robin Hood the Panto, S’narled (Capitol Theatre), Spamalot (Stage West Calgary), Tantomile in CATS (Mirvish/Panasonic/NUMU), White Christmas (MTC), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Beauty and the Beast 2x (Theatre Calgary) and Beauty and the Beast 2x (Citadel Theatre). Film/TV (selected): Shazam, Star Trek, Suicide Squad, 11/22/63, State Like Sleep, Pay The Ghost (role: Ghost Annie), Season 1 and 2 of The Strain, A Cowboy For Christmas, Bang Bang Baby, Tiny Dancer, The Ron James Show, Nikita.

Alongside her husband Phil Nero, Kalie is the co-owner of Metro Movement in Toronto; one of Canada’s leading drop in adult dance studios (13yrs and up.) With everything from very beginner to professional dancers, Metro Movement is specifically noted as being the hub for the professional theatre industry. Kalie has taught and adjudicated from coast to coast in Canada and loves to see passion in all ages! She is looking forward to seeing the students perform in this year’s dance competition….have fun!!!!!

DANCE ADJUDCIATOR – SARAH VANCE

Sarah is a Dancer, Actor, and Singer, from Waterloo, Ontario. She trained in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Contemporary and Hip-Hop and went on to complete her RAD Advanced One Ballet exam with distinction.

Most recently, Sarah was the Associate Choreographer and played the role of Patty Simcox for Grease the Musical at the historic Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre in Toronto starring Pretty Little Liars alumni Janel Parrish. Sarah also just wrapped filming a principle role on the new hit TV show American Gods (Starz).

Select FILM/TV credits: The Next Step (FAMILY), Assistant Choreographer TheMoblees (CBC),Warrior(NBC), CARRIE (Sony), One Starry Christmas(CTV), Canadian Country Music Awards (CBC), Warehouse 13 (Syfy), The Next Star (YTV), King of the Camp (YTV), SYTYCDC(CTV).

Sarah has also appeared in music videos and live performances for such artists as: Carly Rae Jepsen, Victoria Duffield, Vanilla Ice, FeFe Dobson, Kira Isabella, Mackenzie Porter, Shiloh, Kreesha Turner and The Trailer Park Boys.

Sarah was a member of the NBA Toronto Raptors Dance Pak dancing in front of 20,000 fans for four seasons. She graduated from York University with an Honours Science Kinesiology Degree. Sarah shares her passion for dance while teaching and choreographing at studios across Canada and continues to grow as an artist.

BAND, INSTRUMENTAL ADJUDICATOR – LINDA WHARTON

Linda has an honours Music degree from Western University and an Education degree from Althouse College. She taught secondary school instrumental music for 32 years in St. Thomas and London. Her bands won many awards locally, regionally, and nationally. Linda also won many teaching awards, including the Award of Distinction from the Thames Valley District School Board and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jack Richardson Music Awards. She also served on the Ontario Music Educators’ Association Board for 6 years. Linda is currently teaching Conducting/Instrumental Rehearsal Techniques at Western University and loves adjudicating around the province and on the East Coast.

When Linda’s not involved in the world of instrumental music, she enjoys spending time as a dragon boat paddler and has competed at World Championships in Australia and Hungary.